Audible footage meter and exposed-film indicator for motion-picture cameras



Dec. 30, 1930. A. c. HAYDEN .1,787,271

AUDIBLE FOOTAGE METER AND EXPOSED FIL INDICATOR FOR MOTION PICTURE CANBRS Filed Feb. 10. 1930 lllllllIlIIIIIIIlIlhlllllllllllillllllllllllllIllllllllll u lllll|V--mm-lmlmum` STATES PATENT ori-ICE vARTHUR c. yHarlan-1r, or BR'o'okTo'N, MASSACHUSETTS UnfBLE'F-eornen Marian aNnExPosED-FILM INpIcAtron Fon MOTION-PICTURE 4'CAMERAS IThe Iinvention to; be hereinafter described relates tom'o'tion picture cameras.-

'l f purpose of--the inventionis to provide in'a unitary device means whereby increments e v5 of feed of the film through the camera are y audibly` signalled; andv means for automati-` cally indicating the length ofexposed film.

yTh'e photographer and especially'the amateur frequently find-it difficult to estimate the minimum'length vof'film which should be' exf posed" toenable the observer satisfactorily to appreciate the Subj ect thereof when pro] ected f on'thescreeni l'Motion picture cameras have rthe 'other kha'nfd `is'occupied in controlling may givethelsignal on feed ofeach-footof starting and-stopping of-'thefilmffeeding motor,'the indicator 'cannot be conveniently observed.u The device of the present invention a'udibly announces increments of feed and filmY inthe-camera. Also Vthis device includes anindicator which will be' advancedV an'in-y cement 'on each audible signal,`and thereby registerexposure ofea'ch foot' of film.

, fanotherfp'urpose ofthe invention'is to provide, an audible' signal-and indicator device whichV maybe quickly and'easily appliedtoV a motion picture'camera ofstandard typey wit-hout materialk alteration'thereof.`

"ET-he character ofthe invention may be best 1 lunderstood by'lreference to the following de-` ',scription of one `good form/thereof shown intheaccompanying drawing,' wherein Y fFigfl is a'sidevelevation of'amotion picturecamera-equippedwith an audible signal of the device;

andindicator device embodying the invenf tion 1"' Fig-2 is a view looking toward the bottom Fig. 3 is a view ofthe mechanism disclosed oniemovalof the indicator wheel;

l" VFig; 4 is aside elevationfof'the device l Fig; 5'is a transverse sectiontaken online Fig. e naderen to b e'referrea to; y Referring tothe drawingyl*v designates a usual motion picture vcamera I'comprising' a casing Containing ay coil spring motor which Apgiietinalei,February 1o, 1930L`Hseria1 Np'. 427,153.,

drives a sprocket wheel to feedthe film from the`letoff reelto the *take-up reel. An end of the sprocket Wheel shaft is' yexposed externally'lof. the camera, and has a socket therein adapted to receive a crank for use when it is desired to feed the filmiby hand. -lThese parts may be of usual construction, and therefore it isunnecessary to show anddescribethem herein. l ,Y

The audible A signal and indicator' device shown herein as one good `form of the invention, comprises'a support'3'f'in the formy of a platehaving yan yarm with a'hook 7 adapted to be'applied to the Shank of the usual screw 9 onthe camera land be held by thehead of the screw* r 1 f Y I A 'split shaft `1l is mounted ina bearing'in the plate 3 and is formed to fit in the crank receiving 'socket of theV sprocket wheel shaft. yOn the split shaft-s a pinion 13 meshing with a gear 15 rotatable on a stud 17 mounted on and secured to the plate 3, said gear having a nub' 19 projecting from a face thereof.

Pivotally mountedv on the stud 17 is a rock Vlever 21havinga leaf spring finger 23 se I Wipe past the same. In so doing it will push said end up away from the face of the gear,

land* when' the nnb passes said end, the latter will snap down against the gear with a Sharp glirlzkl and signal that a foot of film has been e Y v To indicate the length of exposed film, an indicator wheel 27 is provided having graduations marked thereon corresponding to the number of feet of film usedl in the` camera. In the present instance this wheel is marked with ygraduations and numbers representing 100 feet of film; "This indicator wheel is rotatably mounted on Athe reduced upper end ofthe stud 17, referred to, and is prevented freni escape from the stud'by P11129 having fediy yHisihands Wil-l .be-freeonetoholdthe camermigf-andp-the Y:oth/ieri, tov control starting a head engaging the onter face ofthe Wheel,

anda stem projecting down into a bore 31 (Fig. 6) in the stud. The lower end portion of thestem .is .enlarged somewhat, and the bore has an internal rib 33, the construc` tion being suchthat when thepinsteni is pressed? into? tletbre, itsf:`en'larglenient"v vv'ill 'press against and wipe past lthe rib, and. then the latter'will be effective top'`r`e`vent4 sliivn; that.varioisdeviations may be made. therefrom Witheet gdepartnairem.- the e vp 1ngnff-amt- Stepeoetae-aeaeacien Vc'i-aiitfs.- itmay. be in the form of a rachet Wlieel,'aiid v i i cooperating therewith-is a. paWl ipmounted. I

on the lever'21 at ,the`oppbs`it"end from" .eeeryee-theC Spring-.ideeen ZBS--Seid-.Pevl be.- eeeedL-tewerd-...the-ieeth eff-.dde vretehet o'ccupifesmai hole-.ing the lever having dia-m-1 f eter EeemeWhei1eieeI-e.dien that' ef the Pie- -le; leverer'eeked v.eee 'dreetenby. elle gagement'of the .nnb 19 W'ith the' ,spring enger eed-,efqendnild the-.Opposite vdire-etie v `by aV .yvire'l spring .413 mounted l` onas'tnd- L15 on.. tliediskelf :Projecting from the ,disk isa eiee-'etieewith the numbered. ere'deetiee er1 tllergedeeter .Wheel-f The .lege .deff-ies e spring dog 51 engaging the'teeth :of the VSpiroA het: yWheel to pr-.event reversegmovement s f Te epieiliffthe vrde'vieei "5.0. fdefieeilera; ,the .Spil-it .Shaft 111. ie pressed iHte--eheihendlie .re1-

ceivifng: shaftfofvthe camera;v and liasjfsnicient feet eflm eheeehthe eemere, the geeel will eciveaeomplete rotation, and the nnb `r1Q Y. v gull' ,Wipev past the spring finger end ..25 f

j-prOducing the c1191@ referredtto, andiblyV signalling that a foot of fil-m has beenffed.y If, fer. e..Kerle-Plefl the eheteg-eepher. desiree te feed and eXposelO- feet o.-f.lil 1i i he Will count ten successive clicks5jand this lvvifll be .an accurate Signal thatsaiclhl'ength-Y of film .has been eed' heppie-geit@ film.- feed metier,-.e'nd-r his eye. ree-y' elerev'edfnlee-deinev through the vWitheet' dieteeetee-f Vcamera at the subject being photographed `1 en. een@ net-ingiere .gpaagiangef 2-.11 .Willi bei; dreeeed eed reeked; eliehdr .eje limited by the-hole the lever and the pin 93 eee-Sieg. the. eewlete ddee-nee the ratehet Wheel-an 'incrementV registering-feed offa foot ef:'lm-eHdeX-ieeeere.thereetf WheIl die-Hub beconieeffective torrockthelever .the opi-y 'Suppertf e* Sheft-heredne dgp-n 'shaft-'e eeer meshing with-ebene; ...nf-.eeub

on. the gear;27 a. stud ionfpthe. su-ppc'rt,-, .al roel; n

posite direction, ythereby retreatingthe pavvl andivvil-lv hold` said. Wheel against. movement It understood that the'invention is not limited to the specific embodiment hatis'clainiedis :j Y

amotinpi'ctre Carnera,V thecombination of in readiness for-the nextincrement .of Y feed of the indicator Wheelg- Thespring dog 51 `vvill prevent reversejniovement of the indicator Wheel While the pavvl is. retreating,

1'. Iniannitarydevicefor application to f era-,- and.-lineanS-.Qooperating'l therewith v'for automatically.,indicating the lengthof 'ex-i` posed@lil-mt` l vi-.2. lng-fa unitary device `for applicationto a motion-picturecamera?,.the-.combinationjof means for autematica llyf audibly-g signalling .length-incrementsjof feed of fil-m in the camera; and means operated;l

automatically indicating the lengtlfr v of-` eXLf in. maya-@eceeffapplicata-.eed. '1r-ddee. .Pieferefee-leere, theieembieetoee mear-ie. er automatically: eedbly 'digne-111.1%@

increments o-fffefed .o-fililnif the?caniera and dieating the .lengtl-v of. exposed-nlm. d

12n-A .amotion pictiire 'fcameraf having meansfor feeding film therein including a the; 'camera-,fan attachment comp-rising?? a shaftadapted -for,lcennectionl vvithlA socket,- mea-ne .operated by' the-attachment shaft foeaudibly Sieffellineeieerereente:ef

diicating l5. a-n'nitarydevice-*for applicatioiitozfa mioelen pfetere-eemeeeeew @meenemen-efe said said ni-ib. being-. adapted to'f4 Wipe.: past the spring -ing'erandcanse Qitfto clickg the Y* signal increments of feed of kthe filin.y

motion picture carriera, combination'ofg-a .ee-prereei ele-efe theeeee-f e-- pini-er1 ena-.Seid

. offil-m. being adapted-to v`-Wipe past on the lever, `and means operated the shaftk forl operating the lever to cause its pawl to advance the ratchet Wheel step-by-step.

8. In a unitary device for application to a motion picture camera, the combination of a support, a shaft thereon, means operated by the shaft for audibly Vsignalling length increments of feed of film in the camera, and an indicatorl Wheel onthe support marked with lgraduation's representing feet of film and advanced step-by-step by the audible signal mealllS.

o 9. In a unitary device for applicationto a motion picture camera, the combination of a sup ort,a shaft thereon, a pinion on said v sha t', a gear meshingvvith the pinion, a nub lon the l lever mounted on the stud, a spring iinger on Y the lever normally engaging the gear, said gear, a stud on the support, a rock nub beingadapted to wipe past the finger to lcanse thev same to click against the gear on each rotation thereof, meansfor limiting the rocking movement ofthe lever, an indicator sprocket Wheelon the stud, and. a pawl on the leverfor advancing the Wheel an incre-v ment each time the nub Wipespast the finger. 10. In a unitary device forv application to a'motion picture'camera,the combination of a support, a stud thereon, a shaft on the support, an indicator Wheel on the stud having y Vgraduations and numbers representing increments Of feed of film, means including gearing driven by said shaft for rotating the indicator Wheel step-by-step, and an audible signal operated by the gearing announcing increments of feed of the film.

ll. In a unitary device for application to a support, a stud on the support, a shaft on the support adapted to be driven by the film feed means of thecamera, an indicator Wheel on the stud marked with graduations and stud rotated by the pinion, `a ratchet Wheel indicator on the stud marked with graduations and numbers representing increments of feed of film, a rock lever on the stud, a paWl on the lever engaging the ratchet Wheel, a dog carried by the stud for preventing reverse movement of the ratchet Wheel, a spring finger on the lever, and a nub on the gear adapted to wipe past the spring finger and produce a click on each rotation of the gear, said lever being rocked as the nub Wipes past the finger to cause the paWl to advance the indicator Wheel an increment.

ARTHUR C. HAYDEN.

numbers representing increments of feed of g hlm, a pointer on the stud cooperating With the indicator Wheel, a pinion on the shaft,` a gear on the stud driven by the pinion, means operated by the gear for audibly signalling -increments of feed of the film, and means operated by the gear for rotating the indicator Wheel step-by-step to indicate'the length of exposed film.

i 12. In a unitary device for application to Ya motion picture camera, the combination of a support, a` stud thereon, a shaft on the support, a pinion on the shaft, a gear on the 

